episode_0030

30.

Howard had a hellish week in the punishment cell.

“Come out. It’s time to leave.”

The leader opened the door to the punishment cell.

It seemed like a week that would never end had passed.

“Don’t open your eyes at once. It’s bad for your eyes to suddenly see the strong sunlight outside.”

Howard came out of the punishment cell with his eyes half-flinching.

Unlike the punishment cells, which had no windows, the punishment cell building, which was long and narrow in the shape of a cross, had large windows that allowed the hot summer sunlight to pour down onto the hallway floor.

As we followed the lead officer down to the lobby on the first floor of the punishment building, a butler from Howard’s family was waiting for us.

“Your Majesty. Thank you for your hard work.”

A butler holding out white tofu.

“No salt?”

The butler took out a salt shaker as if he had prepared it and sprinkled some salt on it.

Howard took the tofu and ate it in a flash.

After eating the same menu in the punishment cell for a week, I couldn’t stand the craving for something different.

Howard walked out of the punishment cell and boarded the carriage that the family’s butler had waiting for him.

“What happened to Bill?”

“Bill Young-sik was released from prison today. He contacted me to see the master. What should I do?”

“I’m done with that guy. Tell him not to contact me.”

If only Bill hadn’t come up with such a stupid plan… Howard hated the sight of that guy.

He was released from the punishment cell, but was suspended from school for two months.

There was nothing in particular to do.

Howard was locked in his dorm.

“The Baron told me to return to the estate.”

The butler relayed the words of his father, Baron Beaufort.

But Howard had no intention of returning to the estate.

It was obvious that if I went home, I would only hear nagging.

“I’ll take care of it. You go back to the territory first.”

“Your Majesty… .”

The butler tried to convince Howard that he should return to the estate, but Howard pushed the butler out of the dormitory’s private room door and closed the door behind him.

The private rooms in the dormitory were spacious and comfortable, as they were where the children of the nobility lived. There was one room for the nobility and one room for the servants, each room had its own bathroom, and there was also a separate living room and kitchen that were about 20 pyeong in size, so each private room was as spacious as a commoner’s home.

Howard’s mind was as tangled as a thread.

After a week of reflection in the punishment room, he was suspended from school for two months.

Naturally, I had to receive the lowest grade in my final exam.

“Eww!”

Howard howled like a wounded animal in his bed.

It was so frustrating, it felt like I was walking through a dark tunnel with no exit in sight.

Howard couldn’t stand it anymore and came out of the dormitory.

When I went out, the sun had set and it was a dark evening.

Howard left the Academy grounds and went to the busy downtown area of Midreddin.

I felt like I couldn’t stand it unless I had at least one drink.

Howard headed to a quiet but classy bar on the corner of an alley.

It was a place where Howard would occasionally come out to relieve stress.

Because the prices of alcohol were expensive, it was not a place the lower classes could visit.

Howard sat down in the corner of the pub and ordered a glass of expensive 17-year-old single malt whisky.

As I was pouring whiskey into my mouth in agony, I felt eyes on me.

Howard noticed that the man sitting alone at the table across from him was watching him.

The man was wearing a black cloak and a bowler hat of the same color, and judging by his long ears, he seemed to be of the Elven race.

He was a suspicious man with a gloomy air, and he was staring intently at Howard.

‘Why is that elf kid looking at me?’

Howard also looked straight at the man.

I felt like shit and even thought about having a huge fight.

The elf male smiled awkwardly as his eyes met Howard’s.

Howard found that attitude unpleasant.

The man got up from his seat and approached Howard’s table.

“Do you have anything to say to me?”

“Looks like a young cadet from the academy. Is it okay for him to be in a bar like this?”

As the elf said, it was forbidden by school rules for academy cadets to drink alcohol or smoke.

So Howard had no choice but to back down a bit.

“Mr. is my professor? What? Why does it matter?”

“Can I sit down for a moment?”

The elf man sat down at Howard’s table without even listening to his answer.

Howard was a little reluctant, but at the same time curious about the elf man.

“How did you know I was an academy cadet?”

“She’s wearing nice clothes at a young age, so she must be a noble. Her mana is trained to a considerable level, and her combat job seems to have awakened to level 3. Is there anyone like that in Midreddin other than an academy cadet?”

“Um… .”

They were a tribe of fairies with quite a keen eye.

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like he wasn’t an ordinary person.

“But why are you talking to me? Let me ask you that.”

“I’m a little interested.”

“Interest?”

“Which denomination do I belong to?”

“If it’s a pseudo-religion, I don’t intend to believe it.”

The elf man laughed as Howard showed his wariness.

“All religions are somewhat cultish. Just listen to me. Maybe I can help you find what you want.”

“Longing… ?”

“The reason I became interested in you was because I felt a strong negative energy from you that I couldn’t hide.”

“Negative energy? What is that?”

“The energy of impurity, to put it simply, it can be said to be something like irritation or stress.”

Howard frowned at the man’s evasive remark.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Are you under a lot of stress lately? Maybe you’ve been wronged, or you have someone you want to kill.”

“enemy?”

There is someone I want to kill.

Chris Delune.

I felt like I would explode with anger if I didn’t cut that pig’s throat.

“For example, there is a situation where you want to take revenge on an enemy, but you can’t. In this situation, people feel a lot of stress and negative energy builds up in their bodies. Especially for someone like you who has trained their mana to a high purity, they will have a lot of negative energy.”

“So what’s wrong?”

“Our church can help people like you. We can turn negative energy into great power.”

It was a completely crazy cult. It was like converting negative energy into strength, and talking more about it was just a waste of time.

“Are you done talking? I can’t listen to you anymore.”

Howard stood up from the table.

“Just wait. Don’t you want revenge? On the enemy you think you are.”

Howard stood there dumbfounded.

It was funny even when I thought about it myself, but I was a little curious about what the elf man was trying to say.

That’s why I thought everyone was into religion.

“Is there any way?”

“If you want revenge, there are many ways the church can help you.”

“How specifically?”

Howard sat down at the table again.

The man smiled faintly, thinking that Howard was almost there.

“Our sect has many techniques, including slander, rumor-mongering, and assassination. Depending on how you want to deal with your enemies, the sect can help you in many ways. We can help you achieve what you want without tarnishing your reputation.”

“I can’t believe it. That sect is that powerful?”

“Our church is spread all over the kingdom. Come and see for yourself. How about taking some time to visit the cathedral? If you talk to the priest, your worries will be easily resolved.”

It was definitely suspicious.

Howard hesitated a little, but it wasn’t like he was going to be suspended for two months anyway.

At the academy, he was accused of being a sexual harasser, and everyone he thought was his friend was badmouthing him.

‘Let’s go and kill some time. If it’s nothing more than a bluff, I’ll go right back, so don’t even think about catching me. “

As Howard made his decision, the elf man nodded as if it was obvious.

Howard didn’t know.

How terrifying and dangerous is the church he is trying to join now.

The fact that his decisions would lead him to ruin.

#

Chris and his party arrived at the North Munster Snowfield Station.

The carriage could only go as far as the station, and from the station to the Seolwon relay station, it was a rough, snowy mountain road, so we had to walk.

It was daytime, but it was a snowy field with temperatures dropping to a ridiculous -15 degrees Celsius.

Chris and his group were heavily armed with the winter clothes Lily had bought for them and even wore goggles to block the ultraviolet rays reflecting off the white snow.

“I guess I turned into a human snowman?”

The winter pants were so thick that it was difficult to walk.

“If you don’t do this, you’ll freeze to death.”

“Yeah, Chris, don’t complain!”

“No… Who said what?”

Each of the three people had a large backpack on their back.

We had to pack a detachable tent, cooking utensils, and food for camping, so we had a lot of luggage to carry in addition to our backpacks.

“It would be convenient if a road was paved so that the carriage could go to the relay base… .”

“The walk to the relay base is also made for the training of the Academy cadets. It’s a training course, so to speak. Don’t complain and go.”

Chris moving while eating Ray’s Kusari.

After some time, Chris and his group, who were moving through the snowy field, heard the howling of a beast.

-Wooo!

“What, what is it? Is it a monster?”

Chris floundered.

“It’s a Yeti. It’s the Yeti’s cry. There really is a Yeti in this snowfield.”

Ray muttered, looking somewhere in the distant snowy mountains where echoes were resonating.